TO  ALL  FRIENDS  OF  CHINA  IN 
AMERICA 


Letters  Just  Received  from  Dr.  Arthur  H. 
Smith,  Dr.  W.  A.  P.  Martin  and  Bishop 
J.  W.  Bashford  on  Work  of  Rev.  E.  W. 
Thwing,  Oriental  Secretary  of  the  Inter¬ 
national  Reform  Bureau. 

The  changes  which  are  taking  place 
in  China  are  so  sweeping  and  so  sud¬ 
den,  that  it  is  difficult  for  those  in 
China  to  comprehend  or  even  to  keep 
track  of  theMr— much  more  so  for  those 
in  America.  New  ideas  are  coming 
into  prominence,  new  practices  new 
methods  of  dealing  with^^vils. 

China  is  caught  in  t^Bbrtices  of 
many  strong  currents,  ancWwv  Chinese 
understand  whither  they  are  swiftly 
drifting.  Moral  reform  is  much  talked 


about  but  little  practiced.  As  in  other 
countries,  but  in  a  higher  degree, 
“graft”  and  greed  have  the  middle  of 
the  road,  and  there  is  not,  as  in  Chris¬ 
tian  lands,  any  public  sentiment  in 
China  against  them.  Indeed  the  very 
expression  for  such  a  sentiment  is  as 
new  as  the  thing  itself,  though  that 
sentiment  is  growing  and  is  capable  of 
cultivation.  The  Chinese  are  in  need 
of  moral  support  in  their  efforts  and 
^  struggles  for  reform. 

One  of  our  American  ministers  said  j 
of  Air.  Thwing  that  as  he  understood  it 
this  is  just  what  Mr.  Thwing  is  trying 
to  do,  and  is  doing.  That  is  what  the 
rest  of  us  understand  also.  Mission¬ 
aries  are  doing  and  have  done  a  large 
work  in  China,  and  it  is  growing,  but 
they  are  unable  to  act  as  free  lances, 
and  it  is  undesirable  that  they  should 
do  so.  Politics  and  actual  contact  with 
administrative  functions  in  China  must 
be  kept  distinct  from  ordinary  mission 
work. 

But  in  Mr.  Thwing ’s  altogether  ex¬ 
ceptional  case,  owing  to  appreciation 
of  Chinese  in  high  office  of  the  value 
of  his  gratuitous  services,  he  is  able  to 
do  things  that  others  have  not  done 
and  can  not  do.  He  is  persona  grata 
to  the  Chinese,  for  the  reason  that  he 
is  giving  himself  to  the  help  of  China 
without  asking  or  expecting  anything 
from  them.  Foreigners  in  China  who 
are  in  this  position  (and  not  connect¬ 
ed  with  missions  of  any  sort)  are  very 
rare.  Mr.  Thwing  lias  had  the  priv- 


ilege  of  sending  telegrams,  free  of 
^cost,  to  governors  of  provinces,  and 
others,  securing  reports  on  the  actual 
__  conditions  in  opium  suppression.  He 
has  had  interviews  with  the  leading  of¬ 
ficials  of  China,  from  the  President, 
""  the  Vice-President,  the  Premier,  and 
many  others  down,  and  understands 
their  point  of  view,  and,  what  is  of 
_  more  importance  is  understood  and  ap¬ 
preciated  by  them.  The  name  of  no 
__  other  foreigner  is  so  familiar  to  all 
"  ranks  of  Chinese  (in  the  northern  prov- 
_  inces  at  least)  as  that  of  Mr.  Thwing. 
This  is  because  he  has  succeeded  in 
finding  entrance,  not  only  to  the  Chi¬ 
nese  mind,  but  also  to  the  Chinese  sym¬ 
pathy  as  well. 

~  Tlie  total  amount  required  to  carry 
on  the  work  of  the  Reform  Bureau 
(thoroughly  hated  by  some  of  the  for- 
..  eign  officials  and  by  many  of  the  for¬ 
eign  “interests”  in  China)  is  rela- 
_ tively  trifling.  We  do  not  want  an  ad¬ 
ditional  society  in  China,  but  merely 
..adequate  support  for  work  already  ex¬ 
isting.  There  are  many  friends  of 
China,  who  for  various  reasons,  prefer 
'"to  give  their  support  to  something  out¬ 
side  of  the  beaten  track  and  where  the 
^results,  because  isolated,  can  be  dis¬ 
criminated  from  the  rest.  The  sup¬ 
port  of  Mr.  Thwing ’s  work  is  precisely 
^  of  this  type.  The  writer  of  these  lines 
has  had  knowledge  of  it  from  its  incep¬ 
tion,  and  has  no  hesitation  in  com- 
mending  it  as  a  most  useful  form  of  in¬ 
ternational  service,  not  to  China  only, 


but  to  the  world  as  related  to  China, 
because  it  intends  to  improve  China  it¬ 
self,  an  aim  in  which  wre  must  all 
agree,  whatever  differences  there  may 
be  in  the  methods  of  achieving  it. 

Will  not  some  friends  into  whose 
hands  these  words  fall,  look  into  this 
matter  and  “lend  a  hand”  at  a  time 
and  in  a  place  where  the  results  are 
not  likely  to  be  disappointing  either  in 
the  present,  or  in  the  future  ? 

(Signed)  Arthur  Id.  Smith. 
American  Board  Mission, 

Tungchow ,  Peking,  China. 

December  IS,  1913. 


The  fact  that  the  Chinese  Republic 
has  taken  a  firm  stand  against  opium 
is  due  to  the  influence  of  your  bureau. 
But  for  your  efforts  the  old  interdicts 
must  have  lapsed  and  the  growth  of 
the  poppy  would  have  been  freed  from 
all  restraint.  Not  only  have  you  (ad¬ 
dressed  to  Air.  Thwing)  attained  as¬ 
surance  that  the  Government  will  wage 
war  on  this  inveterate  vice,  but  you 
have  assisted  in  the  destruction  of 
large  quantities  of  the  noxious  drug. 

Friends  of  China  can  not  do  a  bet¬ 
ter  service  than  to  support  your  bu¬ 
reau  in  its  anti-opium  crusade. 

(Signed)  W.  A.  P.  Martin. 
American  Presbyterian  Mission, 
Peking,  China,  Dec.  18,  1913. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  RECENT  LETTERS  OF  REV. 

E.  W.  THWING. 

The  International  Reform  Bureau, 
under  the  charge  of  its  Oriental  Secre¬ 
tary,  Rev.  E.  W.  Thwing,  is  rendering 
a  notable  service  to  China.  Mr.  Thwing 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  leaders  of 
new  China  to  a  very  remarkable  ex¬ 
tent  ;  and  his  great  service  in  the 
opium  reform  is  rendering  the  double 
service  of  increasing  China’s  high  re¬ 
gard  for  America  and  at  the  same  time 
helping  a  fourth  of  the  human  race  to 
destroy  one  of  the  greatest  vices  that 
afflict  mankind. 

(Signed)  Bishop  J.  W.  Bashford. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

Peking ,  China,  Jan.  13,  1914. 


“We  are  constantly  l'eceiving  re¬ 
quests  for  literature  against  many  of 
the  existing  evils  in  China,  but  have 
had  to  put  them  off  with  the  promise 
that  we  hope  to  be  able  to  secure  the 
means  with  which  to  supply  this  liter¬ 
ature  within  a  short  time.  If  we  can 
not  fulfill  our  promises,  our  influence  is 
going  to  be  greatly  damaged,  as  the 
public  will  soon  learn  that  our  words 
mean  nothing.  If  ever  China  needed 
help,  it  is  now.  We  are  unable  to  give 
the  help  we  might  and  should  because 
of  the  lack  of  funds  for  literature,  and 
trust  that  you  can  secure  some  from 
some  source.” 


‘  ‘  I  am  supporting  the  work  entirely 
out  of  my  own  pocket  at  present  as 
there  is  not  a  cent  in  treasury  for 
printing  and  current  expenses.  This 
can  not  go  on  indefinitely  so  I  feel 
rather  discouraged  at  not  receiving  any¬ 
thing  from  Washington.  Although  the 
Chinese  have  given  something  for  the 
definite  purchase  of  this  fine  lot  in 
Peking,  which  is  the  property  of  the 
International  Reform  Bureau,  its  diffi¬ 
cult  to  get  them  to  contribute  towards 
running  expenses.  The  small  amount 
we  require  ought  certainly  to  come 
from  the  friends  at  home.” 

American  Christians  have  so  far  fail¬ 
ed  to  respond  adequately  to  the  Reform 
Bureau’s  many  appb&ls  for  the  support  v. 
of  Mr.  Tliwing,  though  he  is  unqualiP  * 
fiedly  endorsed  by  the  highest  Chinese 
officials  and  by  the  leading  mission^ 
aries  of  many  churches.  His  salary 
and  that  of  his  assistant  is  provided 
for  by  Mr.  A.  A.  Hyde  and  Dr.  J.  L. 
Thistle,  but  he  needs  a  large  fund  for 
the  free  distribution  of  literature,  not 
only  on  opium  but  also  on  liquOYs, 
cigarettes,  gambling  and  impurity. 

Will  YOU  help  NOW  by  a  contribu¬ 
tion  or  pledge? 


Y 

Addrkss: 

INTERNATIONAL  REFORM  BUREAU, 
206  Pa.  Ave.,  S.  E.,  Washington,  D.  C. 


